14 DAY TRIAL // The Panther II was never deployed by the German army. It was designed to combine the best features of its predecessors but the country, on the defensive and lacking resources, was unable to actually produce them. But I have two on the field, leading the armored forces that are supposed to eliminate a big Russian salient on the Eastern Front.
The two tanks are expensive and take up plenty of deployment slots. Plenty of artillery, recon, and lesser tanks are supporting them, often taking hits to make sure that the most powerful machines in this battlegroup can execute easy overruns or attack without getting hit themselves.
This is the alternate history campaign in the Axis Operations downloadable content pack for Panzer Corps 2. The Soviet forces are fielding overstrength units and plenty of anti-tank and artillery, often blunting the German panzer assaults with plenty of losses. Only smart use of units, commanders, airpower, suppression, and encirclement can lead to solid victories.
The DLC is developed by Flashback Games and published by Slitherine Ltd. This is the most recent in a long line of packs that focus on expanding the number of missions for the German Army and its allies.
The year is, as the name makes clear, 1945, and, in the real world, the Reich is on its last legs, reduced to defensive operations and desperate attacks on all fronts. One of the DLC’s campaigns will reflect this and will ask players to go up against impossible odds while stripping their own reserves to keep their core force operational.
Players will fight near Budapest and man the final defensive lines on the Seelow Heights. The difficulty level is high, with gamers facing massive Soviet forces that feature many tanks and often have near total air superiority.
The other campaign is an alternate history one and features a much stronger Germany. Gamers will be able to buy and use the Panzer VIII Lowe, the already mentioned Panther II, the Grille 17, and more, while enemies will also bring new and very powerful tanks to the fight. Scenarios are well-designed, with a good variety of objectives.
The title’s gameplay mechanics aren’t changed. Panzer Corps 2 remains a good spiritual successor to Panzer General. The turn-based structure and the undo option mean players have space to plan and test out strategies. They have plenty of information on units and commanders to help them make the best choices.
The increased lethality of late-war forces makes the game more challenging. Combined arms assaults are the best way to deal with entrenched positions but be prepared to take significant losses. Especially when infantry and older tanks are used. Anti-air is also very potent and it’s easy to lose bombers quickly.
Panzer Corps 2: Axis Operations – 1945 introduces a range of new units. Some of them newer existed in the real world, which makes their detailed models in the game even more interesting. All of them sound good in battle and the title’s soundtrack adds to the World War II feeling.
Conclusion
The development team is suggesting that more Germany-focused content might be offered in the future. But the game would benefit more if players also had a chance to play as the Western Allies and the Soviets, with new hardware and unique tactical approaches. Panzer Corps 2 remains a strong turn and hex-based strategy game that should finally say goodbye to the Wehrmacht.
A review key was provided by the publisher
